ChiSox59

Colas should be the starting RF for much of the season. There is absolutely no good reason to not try to let him figure it out.

$8-10M isn't a large sum of money in today's game. But again, understand your doubt. I think they'll eventually acquire their RF via the Cease deal. But if not, they have to sign someone. You can't pound the table all offseason about defense and then stick Gavin Sheets in RF.

They just spent just under $6MM on a shitty catcher and a terrible reliever, so I don't think its beyond the realm of possibility they will sign an actual major leaguer to play RF. JR can certainly afford it. Understand the doubt, tho.

Cowser/Kjerstad + Ortiz + Povich/Beavers should be the minimum price the Sox are willing to accept. Or the O's can enjoy wasting the cheap control of their core just like the Sox did!

They should give Adam Duvall 1/$8-10M. He can cover all OF positions, and is an ideal platoon partner for both Beni and Colas. I still think the Sox need to give Colas a lot of the RF reps in 2024. Its a lost season. I am fine with making him earn in AAA for a month or so, but he's the best hope at an internal RF in the org. Yes, his rookie campaign was dreadful but he's a year removed from being the exact type of guy we'd want back in a Cease deal.

I was referring to Nicky Lopez (when say our little Nicky can field his position), not Madrigal.

Our little Nicky can at least field his position.

lol this guy isn’t close to as good as Bummer. Some Sox fans are so jaded by Bummer, who is actually a very good lefty reliever.

If being a former royal is a prerequisite, they should spent 60% of this total and brought Josh Staumont in.

I am with you. I kind of wonder if the Sox feel Stassi might be more of a gamble than even we thought. For league min, its a worthy gamble, but maybe they aren't even sure they're going to keep him. I had no problem with a Lee/Stassi catching situation in 2023, so it does feel a bit superfluous.

I mean, the option is vesting. Its probably only $4M thrown to the wind. Which is like $1-2M too much, but a couple million probably not terribly important with a team that's sitting at $116.5M in commitments and appears unlikely to surpass $130M at this point.

Hah - ya thats def who it is.

Gimme Brad Hand. Played against him a bunch growing up thru HS.

Not terribly promising, but even if the Sox don't get a pitching heavy return for Cease the rotation will include probably 50-75+ starts from Schuster, Nastrini, Eder, Mena, Martin, Burke, Thompson. Those guys could theoretically benefit from a guy like Maldonado too. Even if Cease doesn't go to ATL, the Sox will likely add at least one guy to that group via the Cease deal. I am fine with Maldonado. I feel like $4M is probably $1-1.5M rich, but on a team that has a $116M payroll INCLUDING him, its hard to get too up in arms about it.

I think the Sox have made it pretty obvious that Carlos Perez isn't a long term option.

I don't understand how these things are tied together.

Let’s hope it’s like $2-3M guaranteed. I don’t mind making Lee earn his reps rather than them being handed to him. But he should still get the most PA from the C position in 2024.

Fwiw, that number includes the buyouts to TA ($1M) and Clevinger ($4M) that have already been paid. Actual 2024 payroll including filling out the roster with league min players is around $112.5M as things sit before Maldonado.

Weird move. Hope it’s real cheap.

I have no problem with signing relievers to 1 year deals.

Then he can enjoy more first round exits in the playoffs, or even the WC game the next couple seasons. The O's might not even win the East consistently the next couple years.

This. There is legitimate upside in holding Cease until July. Of course there is always risk any pitcher goes down with elbow or shoulder injury, but if he bounces back to a Cy candidate, you're getting better offers in July than you're getting now, even with 15-20 less starts of control.

Isn't BAL going to have a serious 40/26 man crunch in the next 18 months? They can't just hoard all these guys forever.

Again, doesn't really matter but Bradish career ERA+ is 110, and Grayson's is 97. So if that's the measure, not sure there is much support for that claim. Cease's ERA+ past three seasons is 131. That seems like a better measuring stick, which includes both a Cy Young runner-up season in 22, and season where most went wrong in 23.